Sloom
by treblegnome
Summary: When Jaime comes looking for Sansa, Littlefinger throws Jaime in one of the sky cells in the Vale. Will she condemn him or help him escape?
1. Chapter 1

Jaime Lannister hadn't expected to end up in the sky cells when he went to the Vale to look for Sansa Stark. But Petyr Baelish wasn't exactly a predictable man. Instead of his usual lies, Littlefinger had called him a trespasser and had him thrown into a cell. Two days passed before he heard from anyone except his simple minded guard.

"Mort, I've come to bring the prisoner a meal. Open the door." A woman's voice was saying.

"Is this some trick? I feed the prisoner. I always feed the prisoner." Mort protested.

"It's no trick. Lord Petyr sent me here. This isn't an ordinary prisoner. If you don't open that door I will tell him you disobeyed me. Do you want that?" She argued with him.

Mort grunted and Jaime heard the rattling of keys. Sansa Stark stepped into the cell. He hadn't been sure until this moment if she was even here.

"Sansa!" He said, almost in shock.

"Ser Jaime. I've brought you food. Something a little better than what Lord Petyr normally offers his prisoners." She said, bringing him the covered plate.

"Thank you. Are you well? Have you been treated kindly here?" He asked with a tone of concern.

She glanced back at the cell door. That one glance, to see if anyone was listening was enough to tell Jaime that she was not being treated well. "I am well enough." She said.

"Baelish didn't send you here to give me better food, did he?"

"No." She admitted.

"Then why did you come?"

"I heard you were looking for me. I wanted to know for myself."

"I was looking for you." Jaime told her. "Before she died, I promised your mother I would bring you and your sister home. I intended to do that. You were my last chance at honor."

Some part of Sansa, the part of her that had once loved songs and stories, wanted to cry at his words. A knight had come to rescue her after all. She struggled to hold back her tears. "Then I am sorry you ended up here instead."

"As am I." Jaime quipped, opening up his food and taking a bite.

"Did you find Arya?" She asked.

"No, but there were rumors of her being alive and in possession of the Hound. Gods know what he wanted with her."

"Then she is safe." Sansa sighed in relief.

Jaime gave her a look. "You did hear me say The Hound, correct?"

"Yes, but he wasn't as cruel as people believed him to be. He helped me many times in Kingslanding. Saved my life when Joeffrey ordered him not to, refused to beat me when all of the other kingsguard obeyed. If he was with Arya, it was to help her."

"Joffrey had you beaten?" Jaime chose to ignore her trust in the Hound. "How often did that happen?"

"Whenever I said something that displeased him or he was in a foul mood he had his guards strike me. And whenever Robb won a battle it was worse." She told him timidly.

"Worse how?" Jaime dreaded to hear the answer.

"He had me stripped naked before the entire court and beaten with the flat of a sword." She choked out the words.

"I'm sorry…" Jaime began. He wanted to say more. He wanted to say that someone should have stopped Joffrey, that if he had been in Kingslanding he wouldn't have allowed it, but such speculation was pointless.

Sansa only nodded and moved towards the cell door. Unsure what to say she only said, "Goodnight Ser Jaime."


	2. Chapter 2

Jaime didn't expect to see Sansa again after that night. So when she came the next evening with another meal he was quite surprised. "Returned to stare at the monster, have we?"

"I doubt you're a monster." Sansa passed him his food.

"That's kind of you really, but hardly accurate."

"So you're arguing that you are a monster or that I did come to stare?"

"Neither one actually. I shouldn't argue at all with the one person in this entire castle who has chosen to show me a little kindness. Why is that Lady Sansa? Why have you come to my cell a second time?" He said with his usual charm.

"I don't...I don't know…" Sansa said, tears in her eyes.

"Fair enough." Jaime, opened his plate of food and began to eat. Sansa sat down on the floor of his cell a few feet away. They sat in silence for a while. At one point Jaime had trouble cutting his meat with his left hand. Wordlessly, Sansa cut it for him. After he finished eating, she took his plate and left.


	3. Chapter 3

On the third night, Sansa brought Jaime a meal and she brought a book for him as well. "Tyrion told me once how dreadfully lonely and boring it was in the sky cells. Perhaps a book will help." She said as she sat down on the floor of his cell.

"Was it dreadful being married to Tyrion?" Jaime asked, half joking. "Because it was quite dreadful being his brother, I can only imagine how much worse it must be for his wife."

Sansa gave a small smile. "Tyrion never touched me. He was kind enough but he did not love me and I did not love him. The marriage was a farce."

"I suspected as much."

"Petyr intends to marry me off to Harry the Heir." Sansa said, picking at the folds of her dress.

"I take it you don't want to marry him."

"I don't want to marry anyone." She said. It was then that Jaime noticed the marks on her wrists. They were red and blistered, something like ropeburn.

"Sansa, what in seven hells happened to your wrists?"

She glanced up at him, surprised he had noticed, then made an attempt to pull her sleeves down over her wrists. It was too late for that. Jaime had already seen. He reached for her arm to take a closer look. She didn't fight him.

"Sansa, this is recent. What happened?"

"Petyr comes to my bed at night." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I struggled too much this last time. I try not to fight him, I really do, because I know I don't have a choice...but when he calls me Cat, I just want to vomit...I couldn't stay still...he tied me to the bed."

"Gods!" Jaime felt sick. For once he didn't know what to say. He got up and paced the cell for a few minutes before making himself sit down again. "Why does he want you to marry Harry if he wants you for himself?"

"He'll have Harry killed eventually. He wants to be Lord of the Vale and Lord of Winterfell." Sansa's tone was without hope.

"That is a problem, isn't it?"

She nodded and they sat in silence again until he had finished eating.

"Thank you for the book, Sansa." Jaime said when she moved to leave.

"Goodnight Ser Jaime."


	4. Chapter 4

The next night Sansa came and went straight to the edge of the sky cell after handing Jaime his food. "How far down do you think it is?" Sansa asked as she peered over the edge.

"I don't know. A couple hundred feet I guess." Jaime was preoccupied with hunger.

"Do you think people who fall so far, die quickly?"

This had his attention. "Sansa, come away from the edge."

"I will. I just…" She leaned a little further. Jaime was on his feet and wrapping his arms around her waist seconds later. He pulled her away from the edge and to the back wall of the cell. "Let me go...please let me go...let me die…" She struggled against him but he was far stronger. Finally she gave up, collapsing into tears. He held on to her still and she turned enough to cry in his arms. In the end, they sat on the floor of the cell, Sansa on Jaime's lap, her head on his chest, sobbing until she had no tears left.

"Sansa, don't ever do that again. Promise me you won't ever try that again." Jaime said.

"Why?" She asked, exhausted and hopeless. "Who would even care if I died?"

"Well there's your brother Jon Snow."

"Jon Snow doesn't care about me anymore, if he ever did. He always preferred Arya. Besides he has his vows now. If he didn't, he could have come for me long ago."

"And there's me."

Sansa glanced up at him to see if he was being genuine. He seemed to be serious and genuine but she just didn't know. "I want to believe you."

"But I'm a Lannister and you're a Stark, I know."

"Maybe you're just hoping I'll help you escape." Sansa went on.

"That would be nice…"

"And after I've done that you'll abandon me to Littlefinger." She suggested.

"Never." Jaime insisted.

Sansa sighed, unsure with herself and what to believe. "It's getting late. I should go." She got up and headed for the door.

"Sansa, promise me."

She turned back to him. "I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

The next night Sansa didn't come at all. Jaime paced the cell worried about what might have happened to her. Had Littlefinger hurt her even further? Had she decided not to come and see him anymore? Had she gone and jumped out the moon door? He ate the meager rations that Mort brought him and continued pacing. He couldn't sleep. It was well past midnight when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs outside his cell. Sansa let herself in with sleeping Mort's key. Her face was bruised, her lip bleeding.

"Sansa?" Jaime reached for her good cheek.

"I bit him. I knew I shouldn't...but.."

"Is that the key?" Jaime looked down at her hand.

She nodded. He reached down and took it from her hand.

"I'm leaving. I want you to come with me. I'll bring you back to Winterfell if you'll let me."

She nodded a second time. "Okay."

They stopped in the castle kitchens and filled a sack with bread and cheese and other foods for travelling. They both took some clothes and other necessities. Next was the armory where Jaime chose a sword and light armor. Then they went to the stables and took two horses. It wasn't difficult to get out of the Vale. They rode all night and late into the next day before Jaime took them off the road and let them stop at a small stream to rest. Jaime wet a rag in the stream and helped Sansa to wash the cuts on her face.

"I should go back there and kill him." Jaime said. "I should have killed him before I left."

"There was no need." Sansa told him. "I already did."

"How?"

"After he fell asleep, I stabbed him." She said. "I realized it was either me or him. One of us had to die." She was shaking, almost as if she was just now realizing what she had done. "I killed him...I killed him…"

Impulsively Jaime stepped closer and hugged her. "It's okay. You did what you had to do."

Sansa clung to him as if her life depended on it. Then suddenly she let go. "I'm okay now. We should keep going now. The knights of the Vale may be looking for us."

Jaime thought she was acting strangely. But she had just killed a man so he supposed she was entitled to be out of sorts. They packed up their things and resumed their journey until nightfall. They made camp without a fire that night. It was too risky that the knights might see the flames or the smoke. The mountains were cold though and even under her cloak and wool blanket Sansa was shivering.

"We would both be warmer if we slept closer together." Jaime suggested.

"I'm fine." Sansa said.

"I can hear your teeth chattering so I know you aren't fine. Besides, it's starting to snow." He protested.

"It doesn't matter. I'll be okay right here." She insisted.

"Are you afraid of me, Sansa? Because I won't hurt you…"

"No, I'm not afraid of you. I feel safe with you and I can't...I shouldn't...I can't allow myself to trust you." She was exhausted and the words were spilling out almost against her will.

"You don't have to trust me. Just be warm."

She gave in, moving closer to him and sharing her cloak and blanket. He put his arms around her and pulled her body close to his. "So warm." She muttered before dropping off to sleep. He watched her for a few minutes as she slept. The bruise on her face had begun to change color and the cut on her lip was now scabbed over but she was still beautiful. He was as tired as she was and soon fell asleep as well.


	6. Chapter 6

Sansa woke as the sun came up. She felt warm and safe in Jaime's arms and the feeling startled her then as much as it had the other times he had hugged her. The men in her life over the past few years had not been kind to her. She had been beaten raped and abused so often that feeling safe and cared for was a novelty. Cared for? Is that what this is? She had to admit to herself that it did feel like Jaime at least cared about her wellbeing. Though she couldn't imagine why he would care and she couldn't bring herself to fully believe that he did.

Jaime awoke to find Sansa was mindlessly tugging at the laces of his shirt. He wondered how long she had been awake and why she hadn't woken him. "Sleep well?" He asked.

She looked up at him with an expression he couldn't read. Maybe it was worry. She nodded almost timidly.

"Ready to face the cold world?" He asked.

"I suppose."

They threw off the blankets and went in opposite directions to make water. Then they ate a quick meal and readied the horses. Much of the day was spent talking as they travelled. They spoke of both of their pasts and of news of the kingdom and of songs and stories and jokes. They were good company for one another. In spite of her reserved nature, Sansa could appreciate Jaime's wit and sense of humor. She had seemed so sad and had been through so much that Jaime liked getting her to smile.

Sansa didn't resist his offer to sleep close together that night. The weather had turned even colder than the night before and as much as she hated to admit it to herself, she enjoyed the closeness. They travelled for two weeks in much the same manner, talking and forming a friendship by day, sleeping close together by night. At the end of two weeks their food supply was getting low.

"We need more food. I'm going to hunt. You can stay here at the camp. I'll probably be a few hours." Jaime told her.

So Sansa waited. She tended the fire, brushed the horses, sewed a few torn items of clothing and tried to be patient. The more time that passed, the more worried she became. Maybe this was it, maybe he had left and was never coming back. He could have gone back to the village they passed yesterday. Or on ahead to the next castle without her. That would be just like a Lannister, to gain her trust then drop her in the middle of the northern wilderness alone. She fought with herself for hours. Part of her believing that Jaime's absence was ultimately a betrayal in some form or other, while part of her wanted believe that he was simply hunting and would be back soon. On and on her inner battle raged until she heard someone approaching.

Jaime emerged from the woods carrying two rabbits.

Sansa stared at him, her eyes puffy from crying. "You came back." She sobbed.

He dropped the rabbits next to the fire and went to her. "Of course I came back. Did you think I wouldn't?"

She nodded feebly. "Everyone leaves...everyone I care about leaves…"

Jaime found himself reaching to hug her. "Sansa...I'm not leaving you. Not until you want me to. Not ever."

"Promise me. Promise me you won't leave me." She said, knowing his history now and that he was never truly an oathbreaker like many people assumed. Oaths and promises were more important to him now than ever.

"I promise you Sansa Stark, I will not leave you." He said. He felt her sigh and relax in his arms. Her relief was palpable.

Under the blankets and cloaks early the next morning, Sansa woke first. Pressed close to Jaime as she was, she could feel his body's need. He was still asleep, and she was old enough now to know that this wasn't necessarily because he wanted her at all. She realized with a pang, that she wanted him. He had been nothing but kind to her and his very presence made her feel safe. He was also very handsome in spite of being so much older than her, but maybe he would see her as too young anyway...Sansa snuggled closer to him and tilted her head to reach his neck.

Jaime woke to Sansa's light kisses on on his neck. He sighed, her affection felt good and it had been a long time since he'd had any affection from a woman. Everything that happened after that, just happened. His lips on hers, their clothes off, sharing their bodies for more than just warmth. Afterward, they lay naked under the covers for a long time just savoring the closeness.

They resumed their journey that morning. Sansa seemed happier than she had in the whole past few weeks. When they stopped to have lunch Jaime felt something cold and icy hit the back of his neck. He turned and Sansa let out a giggle. She had thrown a snowball at him. Jaime bent down to make a snowball of his own but Sansa quickly hit him with a second round, then a third. Jaime scrambled to throw some snow back at her and just barely hit his target. She hit him with two more.

"Hey, give a man a chance." He joked. "You've got two hands and you grew up in this white stuff."

She laughed, pelting him with more snowballs, then she ran. Jaime caught her easily and pulled her down into the snow with him. He rolled them over, pinning her on the ground beneath him. Leaning on his right elbow, he grabbed a handful of snow with his left hand.

"You wouldn't." Sansa said as he brought the hand toward her face.

"Why not? You've had your fun. Now I'll have mine." Jaime teased, smearing the snow on her face.

Sansa squealed and Jaime laughed.

"Maybe, this was a bad idea." She said with a smile. "I'm freezing now."

Jaime leaned down and kissed her longingly. "Warmer now?"

"A little."

He kissed her a second time. "What about now?"

"I'm not warm enough yet."

"And now?"

"Not quite."

They kissed for a long time on the ground in the snow and made love there for the second time.


	7. Chapter 7

"We're almost two Winterfell." Jaime said as they sat beside the fire one evening. "Two more days ride at most."

"Gods...I can hardly believe it now that I'm almost home…" Sansa said.

"Your bannermen won't like to see me with you."

"I know, but they'll have to accept it."

"It's not as simple as that. I promised I would stay with you and I meant every word of it. But if your bannermen may not trust you or be loyal to you unless you're rid of me. You might have to choose, me or Winterfell."

Her eyes met his, her expression was filled with worry. "It's too late for that. I've missed two moons bloods…" Her voice was nearly a whisper.

This news took Jaime by surprise. He didn't know why he hadn't realized before. Sansa had gained a tiny amount of weight in recent weeks, which was unusual given how little they had to eat. "It's not too late. If you want me gone so that you can go home, then no one need know who the baby's father is."

"But I don't want you gone." Sansa could no longer hold back the tears. "If the bannermen won't have you then...then I will go with you to Casterly Rock."

"Do you mean that?" Jaime was touched that she would pick him over her home.

She nodded. "I mean it."

"I love you." Jaime told her. He had said those words before, sometimes when they were making love, and sometimes just before they fell asleep but she had always been afraid to believe him. This time, for the first time, she knew he meant it and she knew she loved him too.


End file.
